


We're anciently new school, loving love like we're supposed to

by Ephemeral_Joy



Category: Sweet Magnolias (TV)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Deviates From Canon, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Love, Photography, Social Media, Texting, small town charm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:21:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ephemeral_Joy/pseuds/Ephemeral_Joy
Summary: It all started with one concerned text from Ty to get the ball rolling.All it took for Annie was to reply.Just one text. A few words and emojis to change their entire life.(or: what if they fleshed out the texting arc more?)
Relationships: Annie Sullivan/Tyler Townsend
Comments: 23
Kudos: 119





	We're anciently new school, loving love like we're supposed to

**Author's Note:**

> oh my god am i really the first? legendary. also most of this was written in a stress/no sleep craze. as usual.   
> I did too much research on birds, photography jargon and baseball and I hate myself now. 
> 
> edited|not beta'd|title from "Loving Love" (Naaz)
> 
> talk to me! https://lydias--stiles.tumblr.com/

**ur mom ok?**

Ever since Tyler found out this morning Dana Sue fell ill, he’s been feeling squeasy. Dana Sue, and Helen for that matter, were like his stand-in moms when his actual mom couldn’t be there. The amount of times Dana Sue fed him dinner or Helen babysat him and his siblings were infinite. He loved them. And now Dana Sue was in the hospital and he didn’t have any of the details to quell his concern. 

After a small hesitation - did he want to bother Annie with this? - he sent the text. Tyler stared at the screen for a moment, hoping she’d see it immediately. 

‘I’m driving you home or what?’, Gabe asked. Tyler slammed his locker shut, not quite comprehending what he said.   


A beat too late, he replied. ‘Uh yeah thanks.’ When he saw the look on Gabe’s face, he continued. ‘Sorry it’s been a weird day.’

Gabe kept chattering on, but Tyler wasn’t at it. He had his mom getting close with his coach, Noreen somehow still present in his life, CeCe making moves on him when he just didn’t have time or energy or just the  _ mental capacity  _ to deal with that right now - and now Dana Sue: the woman who could make everything better with a warm smile and a pot pie.

Before he went to sleep, he checked his phone again. He skipped the slew of texts from CeCe, the baseball groupchat and the lone one from his dad. He came to Annie’s name and saw she has finally replied. He paused before reading. What if she had bad news? Tyler shook his head, opening it. 

**  
** **Sorry! Didn’t see this. Mom’s gonna be fine but she’s driving me CRAZY** **😤**

He chuckled as relief washed over him. Dana Sue was still the same old Dana Sue. He thought of a reply but couldn’t think of something right away; he didn’t want to come off as a dumb or something. Annie always said something intelligent despite being a year younger and he didn’t want to seem less. Like, she had an IG page presenting her awesome photography about the reality of Serenity, whereas he was just… a jock. He knew she was gonna get out of town, but he wasn’t so sure of himself. Kyle was going to Juilliard or some other acting school and Annie was going to become a big journalist somewhere. And he… well, he tried not to think about that. Deciding he didn’t want to mull over his thoughts for an entire night, he went to sleep. 

He was eating pizza with the boys after a good training session when he suddenly got a good idea for a reply. It was maybe dumb to continue the conversation 24 hours later, but he felt like he needed to keep this going. He knew she was babysitting Katie so her phone must be close-by. 

**ugh ikr? Parents exist 2 make us crazy.**

Like he predicted, she saw it instantly and noticed the three dots hovering. A minute later, a GIF got sent. He smiled at the kitten in the tree, “Hang in there” bouncing around. 

‘Who are you texting? A girl?’, Gabe teased, trying to get a glimpse from his phone. Tyler pulled it towards him. 

‘No one,’ he muttered, putting his phone down and focusing back on the conversation. 

Tyler came home after midnight, carefully closing the front door as to not wake up anyone. Kyle was a light sleeper and Katie tended to have a sixth sense when he got home. He quietly left his shoes in the hallway and tiptoed upstairs. Just as he closed the bedroom door behind him, a buzz was felt in his pocket. Annie. 

**For real, what do you wish they did differently? I just wish they didn’t make Serenity seem like a fairy tale**

He puffed. That was  _ so  _ true. 

**fr i just wanna stop my mom from being w coach and get noreen gone**

**She’s nice though**

**i guess but she ruined everything**

**I get that** **  
** **They just don’t listen like my mom thinks she’s ALWAYS right!**

**yes!  
** **i can’t wait 2 go to get in a team**

**What team are you hoping for?**

**whoever wants me** **  
** **but the yankees still slap**

**I should look into baseball more LOL**

He paused, thumb pressed against the screen. It was late, really late, but he liked this. Coach Cal would want him to rest after a tough practise, but he’d rather continue. 

**hows the ig page goin?**

**It’s fine.** **  
** **idk my mom doesn’t get it**

**maybe i can tag along sometime**

He pressed send before he thought the better of it. Hanging out with Annie? He hadn’t really done that since they were in elementary school, playing ninja’s and wizards and restaurant. Now, they couldn’t play make-belief, they’d be  _ themselves _ , and he didn’t know how he felt about that. 

**Sure!** **  
** **How about after church?**

He was supposed to go to the movies with Gabe and Alex. 

**sounds cool**

Guess he should reschedule. Tyler smiled and left the conversation at that, putting his phone down. Maybe this little outing would make them closer friends again, someone else to talk with besides his teammates (who, like Jackson, could be assholes sometimes). 

He spent his Saturday holed inside his room, avoiding his mom in hopes of avoiding coach Cal as well (who, for some fucking reason, always ended up in their kitchen) and his dad. Because wherever his father was, Noreen was one step behind with his halfsibling in her stomach. He felt suffocated by it all so his room, essentially, has become his bunker. Kyle every so often bursted into the room to spout a musical fact but he didn’t mind it. As much as he teased Kyle for it, he was proud his little brother was passionate about something. 

He was watching a Youtube video when he got a notification. 

**This song is amazing!**

Annie sent a Spotify link with the text. He didn’t know what to expect (Annie was a  _ big  _ Taylor Swift fan back in 2011), but he’d give it a chance. 

After the first notes he recognised it as a song from Tik Tok, “death bed”. He has seen some girls at school make videos with it. It was cute. 

**didn’t know u had tiktok**

**I don’t. It’s from tiktok? I just found it on my discover weekly**

He pressed his lips together, raking his brain for a reply. He switched to his Spotify and scrolled through one of his playlists. 

**if you like that song you’ll love dayglow  
** **has the same vibe**

**Thanks!**

For the remainder of Saturday, they had a back and forth of music recommendations to the point he could make an entirely new playlist with all her songs. Tyler was listening to one of the songs (Loving Love by Naaz) when his mom came inside.

‘Tyler!’, she exclaimed.

He ripped of his earphones. ‘What?’

‘I called five times! How loud are you listening to your music?’ It was then that he smelled the familiar scent of chicken.

‘It’s fine, mom.’ He scrambled of the bed, passing her.

‘Was it a fun song?’ She followed him.

He quirked a brow. ‘Why?’

‘You were smiling.’

He was? He must’ve looked like an idiot. Not knowing how to reply, he simply shrugged and jogged down the stairs. ‘Katie!’, he exclaimed, ‘How was grandma?’ Mom gave him a knowing stare but let their conversation go. Tyler, truthfully, didn’t know what he should’ve replied either. He just liked the song, so what? 

The next day, after church, Annie waited on him by the snacks table, camera slung around her neck. 

‘Hi.’

‘Hey,’ he smiled, unsure.

She paused a beat too long before saying: ‘Let’s go. I heard from mister Porter that he spotted some pretty birds at the park.’

He snorted. ‘We’re going birdwatching?’

Annie laughed, brushing her hair out of her face. ‘I’m dedicated to my Insta!’

He raised his hands in surrender. ‘Fine. Let’s hope Porter is right.’

They walked side by side in amicable silence. After years of knowing one another, they were quite in tune with each othe and seemed to both know when it was time to talk. The boys always kept babbling on about stupid shit when sometimes it was nice to just… be. With everything going on in his life, knowing that someone like Annie understood him, was comforting. A bright chrip was heard and Annie grabbed his arm. 

‘Wait.’

He stopped. Annie placed the camera in front of her face and focused it on a small bird in a tree next to them. It was bright red with a black tail.

He puffed. ‘This is what we were walking for? A robin?’

Annie rolled her eyes, turning the camera to him. ‘Rather want a picture of you, Ty?’

Ty laughed, pushing the lense away from his face. ‘No thanks.’

‘And weren’t you the one asking to join me?’, she continued, watching as the bird flew over. They stepped deeper into the park. Perhaps that was one of the perks of living in Serenity: constantly being surrounded by greenery. Sometimes he envied city kids, but then he realised they would never fully experience quietness and fresh air. Ty reckoned he had it better. ‘So don’t whine.’

‘Damn, okay.’

The smile was good-natured. ‘Come on, I’m sure there’s more.’

They kept going deeper into the park, passing elderly couples feeding the ducks and troups of children dominating the playgrounds. She took quick shots of them too, close-ups on their cheering faces or the wrinkled hands crunching the bread. He began talking about baseball, telling gossip from the boys to make her laugh. Annie was often so serious (maybe it was an artist thing?) and he loved her laugh. Win-win situation. 

(It wasn’t like he “loved” her laugh, it was just… nice to listen. Bright. Not that  _ he  _ needed to make her laugh, anyone could, he just enjoyed the sound of it.) 

In the centre of the park was a butterfly sanctuary, and while Annie was there for the birds, they decided to go inside. The second he took a glance, his eyes were met with dozens of colourful butterflies fluttering around. Small, green ones coming close and touching their shirts, big monarchs adorning the lush flowers beds. For some reason, he has never visited it before today. He grinned at Annie who seemed to be mesmerised as well. 

‘I haven’t been here in so long,’ she breathed. 

‘I haven’t been here at all.’

She turned to him in shock. ‘You haven’t?!’

Ty shrugged. ‘My father didn’t think it was manly or whatever.’

‘That’s so toxic,’ she puffed, unapologetic to badmouth his father. It made him smile. 

‘It is.’ 

‘Look!’, she pointed at a flock of yellow butterflies buzzing around the same flowers. ‘They’re so pretty!’ He gazed at her for a beat to long; long enough to notice how pretty Annie looked with the light reflecting from the glass sanctuary. 

‘Want a picture with them?’, he asked as if the insects were a celebrity.

Her jaw fell shut. ‘I- I don’t- I don’t know.’

‘Yeah, something for your personal insta.’ He grabbed the heavy camera from her neck (those muscles must be  _ insane _ ) and pushed her towards the flowers. She gave him a look but them complied, awkward. 

‘What should I do?’

‘Just look at them,’ he suggested, zooming in on her. 

‘How candid,’ Annie joked, laughing. He took a picture. And then another one, just to be sure. Before she was able to snatch it back, he took a look at what he did. She may not see it, but she was pretty photogenic. And just… pretty in general, he realised. One might say she was attractive, but he was a junior and she was a sophomore and that would be weird. Right? Right. 

_ (Don’t think she’s attractive, don’t think she’s attractive, don’t think she’s attractive.) _

‘And?’

‘It’s a good picture,’ he coughed. ‘You should use it.’

She glanced at it, wrinkled her nose in disagreement but said nothing. Did she not think she was pretty? He thought that with Dana Sue’s unfailing confidence, she’d be overflowing with it. Guess not.

‘It’s a good picture,’ he repeated, more steadfast this time.

Annie looked up at him in surprise, cheeks flushed by his sudden compliment. He tried not to linger on it and continued walking closer to the exit. She took a few more shots as he tried to collect himself. Tyler wanted to kick himself: why was he being so weird when this was just  _ Annie _ ? He shared baths with her for Christ’s sake!

‘I’m done,’ she caught up with him. ‘Let’s go.’

As they left the sanctuary, they nticed that the sun has begun to lower, light turning a deep gold. Tyler kept peering at the trees at Annie’s request, when he saw something. He gasped, pointing up to a faraway tree. 

‘Annie! Look!’ Up there, hidden between the leaves, a vivid bird. He ran towards it, her on his tails. She giggled. He decided to ignore it. 

‘Ty, I don’t know what you’re pointing at.’ She was behind him, but he kept running, hoping the bird wouldn’t fly away. 

‘There!’

‘Wait!’, she yelled. He turned towards her but she held her hand up for him to stay put. ‘Don’t move!’

‘Wha-?’

‘This is the perfect shot!’, she exclaimed. ‘Don’t look at me, look at the bird!’

He complied and kept pointing and staring. Up close, he saw that it was a big, indigo bird with glossy feathers. Gorgeous. If someone told him he’d interested in birds before today, he would’ve laughed. 

‘Perfect!’, she said moments later, running towards him. Their shoulders brushed together, a lock of hair against his cheek as she showed him the pictures with excitement. ‘Cool, right?’

‘Yeah,’ he choked, tentatively leaving some space between them. Her proximity was too much and he couldn’t explain why. Or didn’t want to, anyway. 

‘I wonder what kind of bird it is,’ she mused. 

‘The purple martin,’ an old man grumbled behind them, startling them. He sat huddled on a bench, hands holding a notebook with sketches of birds and butterflies. 

‘Excuse me?’, Annie said.

The man repeated the name, nodding at it. ‘Only comes once or twice a year. You got a keen eye, son.’

Tyler smiled. ‘Thank you, sir.’

She nudged him. ‘Probably that pitcher eye.’ Sh redirected her attention back to the man. ‘Excuse me, but could I take a picture of you?’

He shrugged. ‘Sure.’

After she took his photo, they left the park. By now, golden hour has passed, the sky blending into streaks of red and pink and purple. Perhaps this was the most beautiful time of day in Serenity: right before dusk. Annie got a text. 

‘I need to go the diner,’ she muttered, smile abashed. For some odd reason this felt like the end of a date.

‘Need to walk you?’, he blurted out before thinking.  _ Dude _ . 

Her smile stayed. ‘It’s fine.’ She pocketed her phone. ‘Thank you... for joining me today.’

‘It was cool.’

Annie quirked a brow. ‘Really? Rather see birds then hanging with your “baseball bros”?’

‘Yes,’ he replied earnestly. He knew they haven’t been the closest of friends, but he needed her to know that he did appreciate her. A lot. If his mom taught him anything, it was to value his relationships - which included platonic ones. 

‘Well… okay.’ She patted his arm, awkward. ‘I’ll see you at school.’

He still had the lingering feeling this was a date; like he was supposed to do something. ‘Yeah. See you.’

Annie nodded once more, adjusted her camera bag and turned around. She didn’t look back. (But he looked after her.) 

*

**welcome2serenity tagged you!**

Tyler’s heart leapt as he saw himself on her photography IG. In just fifteen minutes, it had more than 300 likes and about a dozen comments, all because she tagged him. 

**cute picture!**

**is that TY???**

**lol tyler is into birds #ourowntroybolton**

**annie and ty? cute!!**

**dope pic**

When he refreshed his feed, he saw that Annie posted the butterfly pic on her main. A smile tugged at his lips, eyes roving across the screen. The photo definitely did her justice.

(Alright. He had to be honest with himself: Annie Sullivan was attractive. His type.)

*

**read your article on veganism. rlly cool!**

**Thanks! You’re an exception lol**

**??**

**In case you didn’t realise, SC pr** **etty much consists of meat eaters**

**right. yikes.  
** **wanna go to that vegan spot a town over?**

**Sure!**

**be there in 10**

**👍**

*****

**AMAZING GAME TY!!!**

**thx annie 😁  
** **guess ur my lucky charm**

**Oh yes** **  
** **The magical powers of my camera truly reach the field** **  
** **Fear me.**

**🤣**

*****

**good morning!**

**Good morning!**

**goodnight**

**goodnight :)**

**good morning**

**good morning**

*****

**ur going to party at alex?**

**babysitting 🙄**

**oh okay  
** **see you at school then**

**Have fun!**

*****

**_facetime duration: 5 hours and 23 minutes_ **

*****

**Here’s an article on how to be anti-racist/an ally of the black community**

**thanks!  
** **mom is at helen’s. yours too?**

**Yes. I’m worried.**

**same...  
** **writing something for the school paper?**

**Of course! I’m asking Aisha to help me w the article  
** **wanna go to a protest with me? theres one in Columbia next week!**

**ofc!! ✊**

*****

**lol wanna go see a movie**

**Sure. Which one?**

**ur choice** **  
** **pick you up in 15**

**Great 😀**

*****

It was another regular Saturday whe they were animatedly talking about “Avatar: The Last Airbender” as they were rewatching it on Netflix together. They bought some chips from a convience store, conversing about the show on a park bench. The weather was too good to stay inside, and many other townspeople thought as well. 

‘I thought Toph was your favourite!’, Tyler exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. Over the past coule of weeks, ever since their park hangout, they’ve been around each other a lot more. Talking at school, going to the movies together, sitting next to each other at church, more photography hikes, discovering new cafes and diners - they even started a shared Spotify, as to not constantly send each other recommendations and just place it in the playlist instead. He had more in common with her than he thought, and it was just so… easy. Being around Annie was easy. 

(God knows he needs something easy in his life.)

‘What? It’s obvious Katara is my favourite! We’re super similar.’

He could see it. Hard-working, opinionated, but lowkey the mom friend. Katie used to think Annie was a siser that came over sometimes. 

‘You’re… Zuko,’ she guessed, pouting her lips.  _ Don’t look at her lips _ . 

He quirked a brow. ‘I’m not angsty.’

Annie bursted out in laughter, head thrown back. ‘You are! You can get in such a  _ mood  _ sometimes, or get so frustrated when something’s not working on the field, and you’re-’, her mouth clamped shut, cheeks flushing red as she grabbed a chip. He, stunned by her sudden halt, nudged her. 

‘I’m what?’ He decided to not even comment on the other stuff, too curious about the latter.

‘Nothing.’

‘Oh, come on, Annie.’

‘Nope.’

‘Annie.’

‘I’m not telling you.’

‘Please?’ He edged closer to her. She huffed, a smile playing at her lips as she pushed his face back. Ty grinned, shaking his head. She was adorable. 

‘Dating your sister, I see? That’s even low for you, Ty,’ Jackson sneered, passing them with his buddies. Even monsters needed sunlight sometimes. 

‘Fuck off, Jackson,’ Tyler hissed, glancing at the children nearby. He didn’t want to make a scene. 

‘Hey Bambi eyes,’ Jackson said, ignoring Ty’s command, ‘don’t let him take advantage of you, alright?’ He encouraged his friends to come closer. ‘Incest shit.’

‘Dude!’, Tyler exclaimed, dropping the bag of chips. ‘Just fucking drop it! Don’t you have something better to do? Kick a child or something?’

‘Whatever, dude,’ Jackson grumbled, eyeing the groups of parents behind Tyler. He had no power here. ‘Don’t get your panties in a twist.’ Before he left, he took one more glance at Annie and Tyler swore he was ready to murder him. ‘Bye Bambi.’

Annie said nothing back, jaw clenched as she kept her eyes on the ground. Ty sighed, sitting back down beside her and picked up the bag. 

‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s fine,’ she muttered. Then, ‘What did he mean with “bambi eyes”?’ Her eyes widened with concern and he couldn’t help but chuckle. She did have a doe-eyed expression sometimes, but he kind of liked that. 

‘It’s because you have big eyes. But!’, he added, sensing her alarm. ‘But it’s a compliment! Trust me! You’re eyes are uh, pretty.’ He scratched his neck, unsure how to behave after that. He had been keenly aware of how pretty Annie actually was, he just hadn’t  _ vocalised  _ it - not even to himself. Saying it out loud to her for the first time felt strangely intimate. 

Tension left her shoulders. ‘Oh. Okay.’ She smiled. ‘Thanks… I guess.’

There was a comfortable silence for a moment, them coming back to a state of ease when Annie dropped another bomb. She just kept surprising him.

‘You’re attractive. Like Zuko.’ He had never seen her so red and uncomfortable yet assured in her statement. She was twiddling with the hem of her skirt, glancing between him and the garment. Did she just express her attraction towards him? He never thought he’d be her type, rather someone like Simon Spry. He never even tried to linger on the fact that she’d possibly be interested in him.

He backtracked. Did that mean  _ he  _ was interested in  _ her _ ? Did he want to?

Tyler took another look at her and realised exactly how much he loved being with her. He wanted to know her thoughts and feelings and opinions and he wanted to make her smile and his day was made if he made her laugh. She just made a room better. And fuck it, he was seventeen but he felt like this crush was something real. 

Crush. 

Yes, he thought, he did want her to be interested in him. 

He let out a laugh and hoped it was natural. ‘Thanks, Annie.’

It seemed like it was, as she began to relax again and began about an article she read about climate change. He wasn’t really listening, still reeling from the revelation that he liked Annie Sullivan, his childhood best friend. 

He rolled his eyes. Great. He was a fucking cliche. 

*

**ur going 2 the game?**

**Of course!  
** **Good luck! x**

**thanks! x**

*****

‘Hey! Annie!’, Tyler yelled, running off the field to her usual spot under the bleachers, apparently the perfect place to take action shots from the game. Ever since he figured out he had legit feelings for her (if something were to happen, which he didn’t hope for, he was  _ not  _ ready for the onslaught of questions from his mom), he noticed more about her, wanting to remember every detail. She was wearing a pretty, orange dress, lips darker than usual, and her hair away from her face. 

‘Why’re you looking so formal?’, he grinned, leaning against one of the overhead poles. He was looming over her and he felt a thrill in his chest in the way she was looking up at him and he was just… giddy. His dad would call it “weak”, but fuck it: Tyler was giddy and he loved it.

‘I’m helping mom at the opening of the spa after this.’ Did he imagine it or was she leaning into him? ‘I hope I’ll be able to sneak off at ten or something.’

‘We’ll be partying at the gym, so…’

She quirked a brow. ‘Is that allowed?’

Tyler shrugged. ‘If you’re not doing anything wrong, there’s nothing to worry about, right?’

‘Right,’ she smiled. Their eyes locked.

‘Right,’ he repeated. Did she always have a smattering of freckles on her nose? 

Her smile widened. ‘You already said that.’

Tyler blinked, pulling away from her enigmatic grin and straightened his cap. 

‘Go get ‘em,’ she stumbled, punching his shoulder lightly. Annie was horribly unknowledgable about sports but she tried anyway and it was cute as hell.

He laughed. ‘Thanks. See you later.’ He hesitated for a moment. Realistically, he should just go back ot his teammates, get a final pep talk from coach Cal and focus. But Annie was here. They’d been dancing around each other but he was still figuring out whether it was all in his head or if she actually felt something as well. Hence, his dilemma. But before he could make up his mind, his heart decided for him and grabbed her into a hug. Her hands instantly went around his waist. 

‘What’s this for?’, she murmured.

‘You’re my good luck charm, remember?’

She pushed him away. ‘Don’t tell me you’re really superstitious?’

‘Nah, but better safe than sorry, right?’, he winked. She rolled her eyes. 

‘Just go!’

‘Don’t miss me!’

‘Don’t hold your breath!’

*

They won, and while Tyler wasn’t superstitious, he couldn’t deny his pitching skills have just been a tad better. Was it because he knew Annie was somewhere in the shadows taking pictures? Maybe. 

He was dragged by his rowdy and exhilirated classmates to the gym after the parents left. They were pretty gullible, thinking their precious kids didn’t drink. Hell, Gabe even had a specific procedure to sneak alcohol from his parents’ wine cellar. A drink got pushed in his hands, some cheap beer, and took a small sip. He wasn’t much of a drinker, only drank a flute of champagne at new years, as he was too focused on baseball. Jackson, on the other hand, already downed two in the first ten minutes. Tyler huffed, focusing back on Gabe’s voice. As long as Jackson didn’t bother him tonight, he could do whatever he wanted. 

The party continued, time turning fast and soon, it was ten. Annie still wasn’t here. Tyler stared at the phone bucket; he wanted to call her but that would basically be treason to the group. It would suck if Dana Sue kept her there as he had been really hoping to spent some time with her like this. Everyone hit different at a party, with that hazy lighting and euphoric feeling. 

‘I brought provisions!’, CeCe exclaimed, walking into the gym. And there, five steps behind her, was Annie. Tyler grinned, motioning at her to come closer. 

‘You made it!’

‘Barely,’ Annie huffed, ‘I thought I would never escape making hors-d'oeuvres.’

He slung an arm around her shoulder. ‘How was the opening of the spa?’

As the night went on, they kept talking on the bottom steps of the bleachers, one of the guys every so often trying to catch his attention but he didn’t want to get away from Annie. One, because she didn’t really know anyone here. Two, because he’d rather by with Annie than hear a stupid drunken tale.

Past midnight, Annie laid her head on his shoulder, eyes peering. ‘I really want to get out of here.’

‘Here? The gym?’

‘No. Serenity. And we’ve had this conversation like a million times but like… there’s nothing here, you know? A community, yes, but… a future? I don’t know. I just don’t see it.’

‘I get it. I don’t see it either. It’s a town to get old in, not to live a life in.’

She remained quiet for a moment. He watched Jackson fall slack on the ground. Idiot. ‘Where do you wanna go? Not thinking of baseball or something.’

Where did he want to go? The furthest he’s ever been was Canada. But was he the type to backpack through Asia? Go from museum to museum in Europe? Build hospitals in Africa? Annie was the activist trying to save the world; where would  _ he  _ go? 

‘I’ve always thought Paris was the central point of Europe. Everything seems to happen there. So… Paris.’

‘You don’t mean Paris, Texas?’, she teased.

‘Ha. Funny.’

‘I know.’ She paused. ‘Tyler in Paris… I can see it.’

‘You can?’

‘Yeah. Why not?’

He pondered on that thought. Him in Paris. He imagined himself flying away without a word right after graduation, finding a job as a barista in some typical French cafe and living in a hostel. A different life that wasn’t complicated and stressful and always on the brink of an injury that could ruin his entire life. Paris. But Annie. 

‘There’s one thing that’s great about Serenity though,’ he whispered, as if they’d hold more weight spoken softly. 

Annie hummed. 

He took a breath. ‘You.’

Annie instantly lifted her head from his shoulders, locking eyes with him. Her face was one of surprise, lips parted. 

‘What?’, she said, barely audible. 

_ This is it.  _ Tyler grinned nervously, hands shaking. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, fingers trailing against her jaw.

‘I like you, Annie.’

Weeks of pent up emotion let out in three little words, tension leaving his neck and shoulders. Whatever happened now was up to her. He just hoped,  _ prayed _ , she felt the same way, because the feeling of his fingers against her soft skin was something he could obsess about. 

A breathy smile built on her lips, disbelief and bliss seen in her eyes. It seemed like she was trying to say something but before anything came out - or before he could feel a pinch of disappointment - she leaned forward and kissed his lips, softly. Slowly.

It was warm and languid, his hands cradling her cheek as she got closer. A shiver ran across his back as she kissed him again. Her lips tasted like dessert. It felt like he became  _ more _ . 

When she pulled back, he chased after her, keeping her a hair width away. His thumb caressed her neck. 

Annie grinned and in that moment he knew he was a lost cause. ‘I like you too.’

Suddenly, a wolf whistle was heard from a remaining group of guys. ‘Get it, Ty!’

‘Fuck off!’, he yelled back, flipping the guy off. Annie giggled, luring his focus back to her. He gave her another peck.

She smiled, eyes glittering. ‘What does this mean?’ 

‘This?’

She motioned between them. ‘This. Us.’

He grabbed her hands. ‘Something more than friends. Wanna figure it out?’

Her smile transformed into a smirk, his heart halting at the sight. He was done for. ‘I’d like that.’ They leaned in again, this time the kiss much faster, her hands at the nape of his neck which he decided he liked a lot. He was still intent on exploring her soft jaw. Just as he pulled her in, she pushed back, giggling. 

‘But before we do that, you have to bring me home. My curfew is one.’

He glanced at the large clock behind him. It was 12:45. Shit.

‘Yup,’ she continued, as if reading his thoughts. ‘No relationship for me if I’m grounded for life.’

‘Alright, let’s get you home.’

He got her home with five minutes to spare. Five minutes to stare at each other in silence, a shift felt from amicable to something  _ more _ . A new kind of tension. She was the one that leaned in one last time, barely brushing her lips against his. He watched her walk out of the car to her front door. She turned back once to wave and then disappeared. 

Tyler exhaled deeply, letting his head fall on the steering wheel. Yup. He was pretty sure he was half-way in love with this girl. 

*

**_facetime duration: 7 hours and 38 minutes_ **

**the sun’s coming up** **  
** **oops**

**worth it  
** **pick you up?**

**:)  
** **i’ll have coffee**

**< 3**

**< 3**


End file.
